Selfish Prize
by Marigold-Scented-Candle
Summary: That too selfish he knew, but… he didn't want her to leave. Even if it meant that she would never be able to return home. He could make her happy that she had stayed. He knew he could. Hinata X Edward


"You can come in if you want" Hinata froze at the sound of Edward's voice. She wrung her hands nervously, almost afraid of what she'd find as she thought about the boy that who had a pool of blood around him. When he had said that he could now understand her pain she had thought that she meant that he had lost his mother as well. But now Hinata knew what he had meant when he said that. He understood the pure pain of the nerves in your body firing off nothing but agony that made you want to need to scream at the terrible terrible thing that was leeching you of life and at the same time kept you infuriatingly still, leaving you to suffer in silence. Hinata peeked through the door, rejoicing at the sight of his lively face, almost the opposite of the face she had seen with dull golden eyes and blood running from his mouth. Even if that lively face was lying in a hospital bed, with bandages wrapped around his chest.

"How'd you know it was me?" She smiled, sparks fluttering in her eyes like they always did when she was glad. Hinata walked to the bed, sitting down on the edge, she was overly careful today, instead of plopping down like she normally would she sat down slowly careful not to move Edward even a fraction of an inch. He frowned at the blatant show of how badly he had been injured in that fight, and being male as he was he did not like that he had been defeated.

It was a major blow to his pride and as such he didn't much like being reminded of it. He had heard voice just before he had passed out, she had been crying and screaming out his name again and again, begging him not to die. Edward hated making her cry; it made him emanate a soft sort of guilt. Softness reminded him of flesh, which reminded him of the auto mail. Which made him realize how he had failed to give Al the body he deserved. The playful spark in Hinata's eyes dimmed, making Edward feel even more guilty a small frown settled on her face as he turned his eyes away.

"E-Ed-kun?" Hinata blinked, confused by the sudden movement.

"I-I'm sorry," he muttered. Though Hinata couldn't see, his eyes had hardened with regret.

"I scared you" now his voice was on the edge of something strange and angry, which was just as confusing. He had scared her, that wasn't what was confusing Hinata. What was confusing was why he was sorry about it. He had seen her in the same sort of pain when the seal on her forehead had been activated, and though it was scary to watch, it was also familiar, and she knew that he couldn't help but scream. She was even more confused as he pushed on his hands and tried to sit up.

"H-Hey are you s-sure that you s-s-should-!" Her question was answered as soon as he fell back onto her chest, much to Edward's disguised joy and obvious blush. It was nice to feel her weight against him, and the rhythm of her breathing. When she had come in when he had just gotten into the hospital his breathing had been shallow and irregular, and the fever and pains that had racking his body had been no help. He had held her hand that night, hoping that maybe her regular pulse and easy breathing would help his heart and lungs work normally.

Her pulse had anchored him that night when he had hovered between life and death. That and the continual whispering encouragement that she gave in little squeezes of his hand and the cool cloths that she replaced as his fever warmed them sometimes drips of water had gotten on his cheeks and chest, like rain drops that made it through a leaky roof. Her touch had guided him towards life. And for that he was grateful.

"See?" her frown turned into a pout, and she shifted slightly, hoping to make him a little more comfortable.

"I'm not going to break" Edward stated, Hinata just blushed. She tried to run a hand through his hair but didn't get very far before running into a knot, she frowned again.

"E-Ed-kun?" He nodded, his eyes still looked guilty.

"Would y-you l-let me br-brush your h-hair?" Edward's expression changed in the blink of an eye from somber to the annoyed sort of expression that he used when Winry threw a wrench at him.

"W-What! Why would I do anything that unmanly?" Hinata's face turned red before she turned her head and twiddled her index fingers.

"I-I don't mean t-to be t-troublesome" Edward frowned, rolling his eyes at her soft ashamed voice.

"Fine" he muttered, letting Hinata drag a brush through his blonde locks. And despite his earlier protests it was kind of nice. He got to lie against her chest, which was without a doubt the best pillow in the world, and besides the fact that it was comfortable he also knew it was a privilege that many soldiers would die for which made it all the more enjoyable. Hinata was shy in nature, and was with him most of the time, so she was something of a mystery to most of the soldiers at the base, which only made her even more of a prize. A prize that he had claimed for his own, which was prideful and possessive, but a very pleasant feeling nonetheless. He knew Hinata had the same sort of feelings, so he wasn't all that guilty about it.

"It's sunset" his voice was fuzzy and muffled. Some of it was because he was most likely tired still. The other part was because after she had finished brushing his hair he had nuzzled his way into the crook of her neck, her quiet breath and steady pulse pressing against his lips. His right hand rested against her thigh. It was comforting that she didn't treat him any different because of the auto-mail. Roze had looked at him as if he was some type of monster when she had seen it, but Hinata just looked at him with a sort of curiosity and then put her hand made of flesh and blood and bone to his made of metal and wires and nerves and then given him a smile. Not her normal one, but a bright one that closed her eyes. His mother's smile, the one he had learned alchemy for, lost his arm and leg for. Edward smiled, moving a little closer to her, she laid her hand on top of his, not flinching at all at the moving metal beneath it.

"T-thank you for r-reminding me full m-metal-kun" Edward rolled his eyes, a smile returning to his face at her nickname. Hinata laughed softly.

"You're much b-better when you s-smile E-Ed-kun" her voice was far away, and Ed could tell he was slipping into sleep.

"B-better? How so?" his eyes were barely open now, and he didn't hear her answer, only a muffled sound of her voice.

"You should have told me if you wanted me to leave so you could sleep" Hinata muttered, laying him back down, his hand was still gripping her's. As if she was afraid to let go of her. She removed his fingers one by one until he let go

"I'll come back," She whispered, kissing his lips softly as to not wake him; she didn't expect a kiss back or even a twitch of confirmation, the only reason she had even done it in the first place was because she thought he was asleep, she never had the courage to start the kiss if his eyes were open. She hadn't been expecting was he pulling her down on top of him, and returning her ki. The only way she could have been described besides shocked, and maybe embarrassed. In his mind, what he was seeing and what he knew of Hinata did not equal out. The girl that was above him was shocked, but she was also confidant and smiling a smile that made you feel like you were perfect in every way.

"E-Ed-kun" her weight was lifted from him and her cheeks were painted a beautiful shade of apple red. Edward smiled.

"I'll see you," she whispered before walking out the door.

"Promise?" she nodded again; and that was all the confirmation he needed. Hinata never broke her promises, ever. She said it herself; she always stood by her words, and a quality Edward sometimes envied, but had always wanted. He wanted to be able to keep his promises like his parents hadn't been able to. His father had abandoned him, Al, and his mother in his mind. Edward knew it was childish to still hate him after all this time. But he did. He had promised to return to them, it was the only memory he had of his father' voice. He never came back, and he hated him for breaking that promise.

Hinata was the opposite of that. Which meant, that one day, when she finally figured out how to get back to her home, that she would have to leave. If she found a way to get to her home, she could always come back if she wanted to right? She had avoided talking to much of anyone when he had first met her, probably for that precise reason. She hadn't wanted to get attached, and didn't want to get torn between her home and this world. But that day seemed so far away, and there was the chance that Hinata might never find a way to go home. Edward hoped that the latter was true. That too selfish he knew, but… he didn't want her to leave. Even if it meant that she would never be able to return home. He could make her happy that she had stayed. He knew he could.


End file.
